Car-fender.



H. T. WILLIAMS-EATON.

GAR FENDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1912.

1,1 30,651 Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

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H. T. WILLIAMS-EATON.

GAR FENDER. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 29, 1912.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a4.- nuKKIS PETERS 60., PHOTO-LITHI? WASHINGTON. D C.

Innis or anic.

HARRY THUS. VfILLIAMS-EA'ION, OF SEATTLE, WASHINGTON, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO NATIONAL AUTOMATIC FENDER COMPANY, OF SEATTLE, WASH- INGTON, A CORPORATION.

OAR-FENDER. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Main2, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY T. VVILLLAMs- EATON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the countyof King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Fenders; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to car fenders and has for an object to provide a fender ordi narily supported at some distance above the road bed, with improved means for dropping the fender to operative position when an obstruction is encountered.

A further object of the invention is to provide a fender having a leaf supported in inclined position under normal conditions.

with improved means for dropping said leaf to horizontal position when the main frame is dropped to pick up an obstruction upon the track. v

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for supporting the main frame.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means for retracting and lowering the rear edge of the main frame when released.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the improved fender attached to a conventional car in operative position. Fig. 2 is a view in end elevation of the fender attached to a conventional car shown in opsubject matter of this application comprises a back frame whose'side bars are secured to a car in any approved and convenient manner as by theuseofbracketsH having upturned ends 12 and socket members 13 carried by the back frame. The frame is provided with cross bars 14: to produce a coarse fabric back and is stationary upon the car. To the lower ends of said bars 10 at 9 are pivoted the rear ends of links 15 which are rigidly connected by a cross bar 16, and the brackets 11 are connected by contractile springs 17 with the lower side of the cross bar at thepoints' 6. To the front ends of the links 15 are pivoted by knuckle-joints 5 the extremities of a Ushaped main frame 18 comprising a front and two end pieces preferably though not necessarily integral, the front piece extending transversely across the track indicated by the rails 19. Hinged to the front piece of the frame 18 is a leaf consisting of side pieces 20 and cross pieces 21 and 22, filled with some material as the rods 23. The side pieces 20 are provided with shoes 24; adapted to ride upon the rails when the frame 18 is dropped and retracted by the action ofthe springs 17, as indicated in dotted lines at Fig. 2.

To support the main frame 18 in full line position as shown at Figs. 1 and 2, a chain 25 is provided secured to the top of the back frame 10 and extending downwardly to the front cross piece of the main frame 18. To the frame 18 a rod 26 is secured in any approved manner as by the brackets 27, and sleeves 28 and 29 are mounted to slide thereon. One of the sleeves, as 28, is provided with a ring 30 and the other with cars 31 between which is pivoted a pin 32 adapted to be engaged by the ring 30. In normal position as shown at Fig. 3 the tip of the pin 32 is engaged by the ring 80 and an eye 33 car:

ried by the chain 25 is engaged with the body of the pin to support the frame 18. The chain 25 is'preferably passed under the rear frame piece 21 to supportthe leaf in inclined position as shown at Fig. 2, and a branch chain 34 extends. downwardly to an eye 35 carried by the cross bar16;

To maintain the pin 32 in engagement with the ring 30 levers 36 are pivotally se-j cured to eyes 37 carried by the frame 18 and their rear' ends held normally yieldingly toward each other bya spring 38. The levers also carry acent their rear'ends links 39 and 74-0, theformer engaging the sleeve 28 and the latter engaging the sleeve 29 so that under the tensionof thesp'ring 88 the sleeves 28 and 29 are held" yieldingly toward each other. The levers 36 curve outwardly about the ends of the main frame 18 and extend.

in front of such frame as indicated at Figs. 1 and 2 and the forward ends are connected by a flexible cord or cable 11.

It will be apparent that with the parts associated as shown, in the drawings the frame 18 and the leaf hinged thereto will be supported above the track in the position shown in full lines at Fig. 2. The distribution of weight on the frame 18 tends to hold the forward heavier end down. The chain 25, having connection with said forward end, is therefore kept sufliciently taut to prevent the lighter rear portion of frame 18 (supported by chain 34, bar 16 and links 15) from dropping below the full line position in Fig. 2 until the chain 25 is released. When the flexible cord 41 strikes an obstruction upon the track it serves to draw together the forward ends of the levers 36 and spread apart the rear ends of such levers thereby, by reason of the links 39 and 10 drawing apart the sleeves 28 and 29 as shown in dotted lines at Fig. 3, permit ting the tip of the pin 32 to leave the ring 30 and the eye 33 to slip off. Thereleasing of the eye 33 slackens "the chain 25 and permits the frame 18 to drop by gravity and also permits the spring 17 to act to drop the cross bar 16 and the links carried thereby, so that the frame 18 is both retracted and dropped to the position shown in dotted lines at Fig. 2 to pick up from the track any obj ectthereon. The parts are of course returned to normal position by' simply raising the forward end of the main-frame 18 and putting the eye 33 over the pin 32,

I spreading apart the sleeves 28 and 29 by pushing against the flexible cord 41, and then releasing such cord to permit the ring 30' to engage the tip of the pin .32. The leaf is then droppedupon the chain 25 to supporting position as shown at Fig. 2.

I claim 1. In a fender, a back frame adapted to be connected with a car, links pivoted to the bottom of the back frame, a main frame pivoted to the front ends of the links, means to retract the links, means to hold the main frame in elevated position and the links in forward position, and obstacle engaging means to release the holding means-when such obstacleis encountered.

oted at their rear ends to the lower edge of the back frame, a-spring adapted to normally retract the links, a main frame, knuckle-joints connecting it to the front ends of thelinks, a chain extending from the-top of the back-frame to the forward end of the mainframe, a-branch member extending from the chain intermediate its ends try-support the links against the tension 2. In a fender, a back frame adapted to berigidly connected with a car, links pivof the spring, and means for releasing the forward end of the chain from said frame.

3. In a fender, a plurality of frames, links pivotally connecting their adjacent edges whereby one frame is movable with reference to the other, a chain extending from the top of one of the frames to the forward end of the other frame, a branch chain extending from the first-named chain and connected with a cross bar connecting the links, keepers slidable along the forward edge of the frame last mentioned and arranged to engage the, first-named chain, levers for holding the keepers normally in engagement, and a cord carried by the levers in advance'of the frames and adapted to actuate the levers to release the keepers.

4. In a fender, a member adapted to be fixedly secured to a car, a main frame disposed in front of said member, links pivotally connecting said frame and member, a spring for retracting links, means to hold the main frame in elevated position and to hold the links against the tension of the spring, levers carried by the main frame a cord carried by the levers and extending in front of the main frame, and means carried the upper edge of said back frame, a latch detachably connecting its front end'with the center of said main frame, means for tripping said latch when an obstacle is encountered, and a branch chain connecting the mid-length of the main chain with a cross bar connecting said links, for the purpose set forth.

6. In a fender, the combinatlon with a back frame adapted to be carried by the car,

a pair of links pivoted to the lower extremipivots; of a U-shaped main frame, knucklejoints between its extremities and the front ends of said links, a chain attached to the upper edge of-said back frame, a latch detachably connecting its front end with the center of said U-frame, means'for tripping said latch when an obstacle is encountered,

and a branch chain connecting the midlength of the main chain with said cross bar, for the purpose set forth.

7. In a fender, the combination with a back frame adapted to be carried by the car; of a main frame, hinge connections between its rear edge and the lower end of said back frame, a cross rod within said main frame, sleeves slidably mounted on the rod, one of them carrying a ring, a pin pivoted to the other sleeve and having its tip adapted to engage said ring, means pressing said sleeves normally toward each other, means to separate them when an obstacle is struck, and a chain connected with the upper edge of the back frame and having an eye adapted to be engaged by said pin, for the purpose set forth.

8. In a fender, the combination with a back frame adapted to be carried by the car, a pair of links pivoted to the side-bars of said back frame, a cross bar rigidly connecting said links, and springs connecting the lower side of said cross bar with the car and tending normally to swing the links clownward around their pivots; of a Ushaped main frame, knuckle-joints between its extremities and the front ends of said links, a cross rod within said U-frame, sleeves slidably mounted thereon, one of them carrying a ring and the other cars, a pin pivoted be tween said ears and having its tip adapted to engage said ring, means pressing said sleeves normally toward each other, means to separate them when an obstacle is struck, and a chain connected with the upper edge of the back frame and having an eye adapted to be engaged by said pin, and a branch chain leading from the mid-length of the main chain to said cross bar, for the purpose set forth.

9. In a fender, the combination with a back frame adapted to be carried by the car, a pair of links pivoted to said back frame, a cross bar rigidly connecting said links, and springs connecting said cross bar with the car and tending normally to swing the links downward around their pivots; of a U- shaped main frame, knuckle-joints between it and the links, a cross rod within said main frame, sleeves slidably mounted thereon, one of them carrying a ring and the other ears, a pin pivoted between said ears and having its tip adapted to engage said ring, levers supported at the sides of said main frame, a contractile spring connecting their rear ends, a flexible element connecting their front ends forward of the main frame, rods connectingtheir rear ends with said sleeves respectively, a chain connected with the back frame and having an eye adapted to be engaged by said pin, and a branch chain leading from the mid-length of the main chain to said cross bar, for the purpose set forth.

10. In a fender, the combination with a back frame adapted to be carried by the car; of a main frame, hinge connections between it and said back frame, a cross rod within said main frame, sleeves slidably mounted in said main frame, one of them carrying a ring, a. pin pivoted to the other sleeve and having its tip adapted to engage said ring, levers supported by said main frame and connected at their rear ends with said sleeves respectively, a spring connecting the rear ends of the levers, a flexible element connecting their front ends forward of the main frame, and a chain connected with the back frame and having an eye adapted to be engaged by said pin, for the purpose set forth.

11. In a fender, the combination with a back frame adapted to be carried by the car, a pair of links pivoted to said back frame, and springs tending normally to swing the links downward around their pivots; of a main frame, knuckle joints between it and said links, a cross rod within said main frame, sleeves slidably mounted thereon, one of them carrying a ring, a pin pivoted to the other sleeve and having its tip adapted to engage said ring, levers supported. by said main frame, a spring connecting their rear ends, a flexible element connecting their front ends forward of the main frame, rods connecting their rear ends with said sleeves respectively, a chain connected with the back frame and having an eye adapted to be engaged by said pin, and a branch chain leading from the mid-length of the main chain and connected to said links, for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HARRY THOS. WILLIAMS-EATON.

lVitnesses Gr. WVARD KEMP, O. D. PELLExsoN.

Copies 01' this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G. 

